Immigration in America Songhua Hu Sociology Department Stanford University

Part I Chinese, Koreans, Japanese  Asian Americans Asian American Immigration

Basic Questions: What were the immigration experiences of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans who first came to the United States? What happens to Asians who immigrate to the United States?

Why do people immigrate to the United States? Involuntary Immigration –Many African Americans in the U.S. are descendants of forced immigrants –Slavery Voluntary Immigration –Push Factors Political or Religious persecution Refugees War Economic Environmental –Pull Factors Work Family Education Quality of Life

Asian Immigration History: the Chinese Experience Chinese immigration begins mid 1800s First to Hawaii, then to California (mostly San Francisco) Push factors: –Many were escaping intense conflict in China: British Opium Wars Peasant rebellions Bloody wars between the Punti (local people) and the Hakkas (guest people)

Asian Immigration History: the Chinese Experience Pull Factors: –Cheap labor and docile work force –Economic opportunities 1860s, in China a man might earn $3-5/month while in America he could make $30/month working for the railroad companies.

Asian Immigration History: the Chinese Experience Discrimination from white laborers Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 –Severely limited the number of immigrants from China –From , Angel Island was used to detain those who were trying to come the U.S. from China Immigration Act denies entry to virtually all Asians

Asian Immigration History: the Chinese Experience

Asian Immigration History: The Japanese and Korean Experience Similar stories like Chinese immigration Push and pull factors Brought in to divide the labor force

Discrimination Against Asians –1906: School segregation –1913: Denial of right to own land –1924: Immigration Act denies entry to virtually all Asians –World War II: Japanese Internment

Japanese Internment: –“all persons of Japanese ancestry” are given 2-5 days notice to dispose of their homes and property and report to the “camps” –Why?

Japanese Internment: –“all persons of Japanese ancestry” are given 2-5 days notice to dispose of their homes and property and report to the “camps” –120,000: Japanese Americans detained in the camps –80,000: U.S. citizens –40,000: younger than 19 years of age –$400,000,000 worth of Japanese property lost

Apology for Internment –1987: House of Representatives –1988: U.S. Senate –1989: President George Bush: Pay $20,000/person to each survivor of the camps.

Asian Immigration History: Women’s Experience Come along with their families Brought in for the interests of plantation owners “Picture Brides”

Contemporary Asian Immigration Importance of the 1965 Immigration Act –changed the criteria for judging immigration applications. –National origin was no longer a criterion –helped many Asian groups enter America

From Chinese, Japanese, Koreans to Asian Americans What happens to Chinese, Japanese, Koreans who have been in the United States for a long time or their entire lives (second generation and beyond)?

Melting Pot or Salad Bowl Melting Pot (Assimilation) –Discard old identity –Adopt American culture, tastes and habits –No longer feel ethnic or close to immigrant identity Salad Bowl (Pluralism) –Maintain “old” culture and identities –Share common goals of the nation

Asian American Stereotypes in U.S. Asian Males portrayed in U.S. media –Everybody knows kung-fu –Everybody is good at math Asian Females portrayed in U.S. media –Submissive and quiet –Sexually exotic and desirable

Part II Recent Immigration Debate

How big is the problem? About 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States Each year some 500,000 to a million more enter the country Mostly through the US-Mexico borders Many are poorly educated, unskilled workers For example, much of California's agriculture relies on migrant labor

Why is it so charged? Polls: illegal immigration as a very serious problem

Why is it so charged? Polls: illegal immigration as a very serious problem Minutemen movement

Minuteman Movement

Why is it so charged? Polls: illegal immigration as a very serious problem Minutemen Movement “Day without Immigrants” protest

“Day without Immigrants”

Stanford Mountain View San Jose

What are the key issues? The enforcement of the country's land borders The reform of existing laws on immigration A wall along the border? The penalties against businesses employing illegal migrants Plans for guest-worker programs English as a required language?

The debate National security Taking Americans’ jobs Punish the employers Have tried amnesty, but it did not work Human rights and civil rights American dream Family ties Be practical Guest-worker program

Conclusion The history of Asian immigration in the USA Melting pot or salad bowl Immigration debate